"We're able to offer specialized care to our patients that have been victims of sexual assault," said Stephanie Herron, nurse manager of emergency services at Brunswick Novant. "We have special training not only in the process of the exam, but also in their emotional and physical needs."

Brunswick Novant has three SANE nurses who treat from 30 to 50 patients a year. Across the Cape Fear River, New Hanover Regional Medical Center has five SANE nurses who treat 75 to 100 sexual assault victims annually.

Christy Spivey, New Han­over's administrator of emergency departments and trauma services, said the hospital is trying to expand its program to cover more time.

"We're looking to recruit up to 12 (nurses) so we can easily have 24-hour-a-day coverage," Spivey said. "What we do is focus our coverage on the times of day when we know we're more likely to have cases and often it's a weekend or a holiday or nights."

Once recruited, the nurses undergo a rigorous training that includes attending a class, doing 32 pelvic exams with a physician, two pelvic exams proctored by a SANE nurse, shadowing a SANE nurse for one full exam, meeting with the district attorney's office, meeting with the Department of Social Services, attending court for a trial and filling out a thick packet of paperwork.

In July, the five nurses who have completed their training were able to cover about 75 percent of the month.

When a sexual assault victim is admitted into the hospital, the SANE nurse on call has an hour to arrive.

Often, by the time the nurse has arrived the victim will have been cleared by a physician. From there on out, the nurse is their sole practitioner in a room dedicated to their treatment.

"You have one person who does total care, so when we take them down to the room, you establish a relationship with them," said Colleen Mistovich, a SANE nurse and New Hanover Regional's injury and violence prevention coordinator. "... I think they're more comfortable with SANE nurses because when I introduce myself, I say, ‘don't be embarrassed, I do this all the time. You have the same parts I have, don't worry.' I think it makes them feel better."

The SANE room in New Hanover Regional features a culpascope, or high-powered microscope; black lights to help detect bodily fluids and other forensic tools.

An advocates group from the Rape Crisis Center of New Hanover and Brunswick of Coastal Horizons Center is going to help give the room a more personal touch by painting tiles to give victims something to look at while their exam is taking place.

The rapport between the nurses and patients can be crucial to developing a time line of what took place, as officials say the care can help encourage victims to tell the whole story of what happened.

"When they come in ... they'll present with one story and by the end that story may look different," said Deanna Stoker, supervisor for the Rape Crisis Center. "It's not out of not wanting to be truthful about the situation, it's just that fear of, ‘You're a complete stranger. How can I trust you? Is anyone really gonna believe what happened to me?'?"

The nurses also review the victims' choices concerning law enforcement, emphasizing that they do not have to press charges if they don't want to and that there is no statute of limitations on felony sexual assault cases in North Carolina.

If the victim does choose to press charges, she will see the SANE nurse again, when they're asked to testify in the trial.

"We obtain the evidence, we do all the forensic exams so we're the ones who go to court and testify for the prosecutor to say, ‘This is what we found, this is what we did, this is actually true, this is what I obtained,'" Mistovich said.

A 2012 University of Kentucky study indicated that a conviction is more likely in cases where SANE nurses testified than in those where a physician did or where there is no medical evidence.

Jessica McAlear, another SANE nurse at New Han­over Regional, has taped boxes of evidence to her torso before so she could ensure that she's maintained chain of custody.

"We maintain chain of custody, meaning if we are up on the stand and someone says, ‘Well was that kit in your possession the whole time or did anybody else touch the kit?' We can say, ‘I maintained chain of custody and this is how I did it,'?" McAlear said.

<p>Hospitals throughout the Cape Fear region are implementing a program designed to help ease sexual assault victims' trauma and make it easier to catch perpetrators.</p><p>Sexual assault nurse examiner programs are in place at <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic9969"><b>New Hanover Regional Medical Center</b></a>, Cape Fear Hospital and Brunswick Novant Medical Center.</p><p>"We're able to offer specialized care to our patients that have been victims of sexual assault," said Stephanie Herron, nurse manager of emergency services at Brunswick Novant. "We have special training not only in the process of the exam, but also in their emotional and physical needs."</p><p>Brunswick Novant has three SANE nurses who treat from 30 to 50 patients a year. Across the <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic91"><b>Cape Fear River</b></a>, New Hanover Regional Medical Center has five SANE nurses who treat 75 to 100 sexual assault victims annually.</p><p>Christy Spivey, New Han­over's administrator of emergency departments and trauma services, said the hospital is trying to expand its program to cover more time.</p><p>"We're looking to recruit up to 12 (nurses) so we can easily have 24-hour-a-day coverage," Spivey said. "What we do is focus our coverage on the times of day when we know we're more likely to have cases and often it's a weekend or a holiday or nights."</p><p>Once recruited, the nurses undergo a rigorous training that includes attending a class, doing 32 pelvic exams with a physician, two pelvic exams proctored by a SANE nurse, shadowing a SANE nurse for one full exam, meeting with the district attorney's office, meeting with the Department of Social Services, attending court for a trial and filling out a thick packet of paperwork.</p><p>In July, the five nurses who have completed their training were able to cover about 75 percent of the month.</p><p>When a sexual assault victim is admitted into the hospital, the SANE nurse on call has an hour to arrive.</p><p>Often, by the time the nurse has arrived the victim will have been cleared by a physician. From there on out, the nurse is their sole practitioner in a room dedicated to their treatment.</p><p>"You have one person who does total care, so when we take them down to the room, you establish a relationship with them," said Colleen Mistovich, a SANE nurse and New Hanover Regional's injury and violence prevention coordinator. "... I think they're more comfortable with SANE nurses because when I introduce myself, I say, 'don't be embarrassed, I do this all the time. You have the same parts I have, don't worry.' I think it makes them feel better."</p><p>The SANE room in New Hanover Regional features a culpascope, or high-powered microscope; black lights to help detect bodily fluids and other forensic tools.</p><p>An advocates group from the Rape Crisis Center of New Hanover and Brunswick of Coastal Horizons Center is going to help give the room a more personal touch by painting tiles to give victims something to look at while their exam is taking place.</p><p>The rapport between the nurses and patients can be crucial to developing a time line of what took place, as officials say the care can help encourage victims to tell the whole story of what happened.</p><p>"When they come in ... they'll present with one story and by the end that story may look different," said Deanna Stoker, supervisor for the Rape Crisis Center. "It's not out of not wanting to be truthful about the situation, it's just that fear of, 'You're a complete stranger. How can I trust you? Is anyone really gonna believe what happened to me?'?"</p><p>The nurses also review the victims' choices concerning law enforcement, emphasizing that they do not have to press charges if they don't want to and that there is no statute of limitations on felony sexual assault cases in North Carolina. </p><p>If the victim does choose to press charges, she will see the SANE nurse again, when they're asked to testify in the trial.</p><p>"We obtain the evidence, we do all the forensic exams so we're the ones who go to court and testify for the prosecutor to say, 'This is what we found, this is what we did, this is actually true, this is what I obtained,'" Mistovich said.</p><p>A 2012 University of Kentucky study indicated that a conviction is more likely in cases where SANE nurses testified than in those where a physician did or where there is no medical evidence.</p><p>Jessica McAlear, another SANE nurse at New Han­over Regional, has taped boxes of evidence to her torso before so she could ensure that she's maintained chain of custody.</p><p>"We maintain chain of custody, meaning if we are up on the stand and someone says, 'Well was that kit in your possession the whole time or did anybody else touch the kit?' We can say, 'I maintained chain of custody and this is how I did it,'?" McAlear said.</p><p>Adam Wagner: 343-2096</p><p>On <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/news41"><b>Twitter</b></a>: @adamwagner1990</p>